Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Trucker shortage, new government regulations being blamed
WAFB-TV ^ | June 25, 2012 | by Tyana Williams

Posted on 06/26/2012 3:19:11 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

BATON ROUGE, LA - Delayed deliveries and high unemployment - nationwide, truck companies say a shortage of 18-wheeler drivers is taking a toll. Drivers say they're looking for work but new government regulations are preventing them from being hired.

Most companies are looking for experienced drivers with clean driving records. That's becoming harder to find according to Don McMahan, who's been driving for 17 years.

"Little tickets, we used to get just warnings. Warnings go on our work record now, on our history now," McMahan said.

He says the Department of Transportation has adopted new safety laws, meaning truckers are getting more tickets than ever for things like having a tail light out or not wearing a seat belt. McMahan says the law now says truckers must use hands-free devices inside their cabs. He says if they are caught on a cell phone, the driver is fined $2,750 and the company they work for could face fines of up to $11,000.

"Because of the added government regulations companies are looking at hiring students," Cummins said. "They know that job is there for them, the shortage isn't going away anytime soon. So their prospects for future careers are great."

That is, if companies are willing to take the risk on new drivers.

One other factor for driving vacancies - older truckers are retiring, and with new laws on how long a trucker can be on the road, some of those newer drivers are often unwilling to be long-distance-drivers.

(Excerpt) Read more at wafb.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: regulations
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last
To: Oldeconomybuyer

The driving rules aren’t the problem, it is the the fact that less and less of us are producing a taxable product or service, and we are getting more and more of our efforts stolen by the welfare class. It is the same for all self employed people. We are the canary in the mine, we are dying.
The entire economy is next — within one year.

I recommend you all watch “Dr. Zhivago” a few times to get used to what is coming.


21 posted on 06/26/2012 4:03:58 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DBrow
"I foresee more accidents."

Agree. I saw an old Buick Electra 225 (land yacht) that got t-boned by a loaded semi and it was literally as flat as if a car crusher did it. Cars and motorcycles don't win in that battle!

22 posted on 06/26/2012 4:08:35 PM PDT by uncommonsense (Conservatives believe what they see; Liberals see what they believe.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: bray

Not true. Drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving in a 14 hour period. After 10 hours logged in the sleeper, driving can commence. At 65 mph, 11 hours of driving equates to 715 miles. More if you are going cross country since you would have another 3 hours on the same day.


23 posted on 06/26/2012 4:13:05 PM PDT by DownInFlames
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Slayton

“The truckers have no freedom.”

What does being a trucker have to do with it? It seems we’re all under assault where liberty is concerned, and the assault on truckers IS an assault on us all.

Higher trucking costs equals higher prices for EVERYTHING.

We need to start defending everyone’s liberty, for our own liberty is only as safe as they guy standing next to us!


24 posted on 06/26/2012 4:13:42 PM PDT by Bshaw (A nefarious deceit is upon us all!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

I drove a 40’ straight truck for year. Now you never see them on the road. I haven’t seen one in several years. So I guess a lot of that shelf shortage may be because it’s not feasible to use an 18 wheeler to haul a little toothpaste.

As for the people understanding, ha! A woman in L.A. was asked about trucks not bringing food to market and she said “I ain’t worried ‘bout dat. I gets my groceries at Kroger.” True story.


25 posted on 06/26/2012 4:35:41 PM PDT by Terry Mross ( To all my kin: Do not attempt to contact me as long as you love obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DownInFlames

Are you a trucker?


26 posted on 06/26/2012 4:44:04 PM PDT by bray (Power to We the People)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: DownInFlames

First of all, you’re not going to average 65 miles an hour. If you do and you get stopped, you’re getting a ticket. Second, those time zones count against you.


27 posted on 06/26/2012 4:47:23 PM PDT by Terry Mross ( To all my kin: Do not attempt to contact me as long as you love obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: DownInFlames

One more thing, it’s 11 hours driving in a 24 hour period. You got 10 in the sleeper and 3 for meals, taking a shower or whatever.


28 posted on 06/26/2012 4:49:17 PM PDT by Terry Mross ( To all my kin: Do not attempt to contact me as long as you love obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Mr Rogers; SnakebiteJones

He’s telling you the truth. The GPS stuff started around 2006. FEDEX pushed it. And if he has a partner, he has to split everything so he’s still not making any money.

I was bringing in as much as $10,000 a month then all of a sudden I wasn’t getting good runs. I’d sit and sit and then finally get a run of 200 miles. I saw the writin’ on the wall. I only drove for 10 months.

Snakebite, I had no idea about the rules for CDL license. I don’t drink but I guess I’d better get rid of it.


29 posted on 06/26/2012 4:50:11 PM PDT by Terry Mross ( To all my kin: Do not attempt to contact me as long as you love obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Mr Rogers

It’s true -


30 posted on 06/26/2012 5:02:32 PM PDT by maine-iac7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Born to Conserve
The driving rules aren’t the problem,

The new rules certainly are -

31 posted on 06/26/2012 5:06:11 PM PDT by maine-iac7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Born to Conserve
The driving rules aren’t the problem,

The new rules certainly are -

32 posted on 06/26/2012 5:07:09 PM PDT by maine-iac7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Terry Mross
I drove about 8 months for a company out of Missouri. The first three months was team driving and I hated that. I had to team with a driver who could not read. Finally I had a chance to get on a truck myself and took it. Lay overs were real killers to the paycheck especially sitting on a weekend away from home.

The company I worked for had one man working in dispatch no one could get along with. Me and him got into words one night over some mechanical problems I was trying to solve {head light relay}. He kept pushing and I'd been sitting all weekend after watching a promised load pull of the yard as I was pulling in. I told him the keys were at the fuel desk of the truck stop and caught a Dog home.

33 posted on 06/26/2012 5:10:27 PM PDT by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Increasing regulations and allowing Mexicans in to undercut American worker wages are hurting another industry.


34 posted on 06/26/2012 5:57:59 PM PDT by tbw2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Trucks and trailers are also being equipped with GPS systems that tell just about everything about how the equipment is being operated.
Now the boss can look over the driver’s shoulder as never before.


35 posted on 06/26/2012 6:22:02 PM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cva66snipe

I sat for about 3 days after having been promised a load for over 1400 miles. I finally got a load for 200 miles and that couldn’t be unloaded until the next day. I called and told them that would be my last load.

You were a machinist’s mate on the America?


36 posted on 06/26/2012 7:16:40 PM PDT by Terry Mross ( To all my kin: Do not attempt to contact me as long as you love obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: DownInFlames
More if you are going cross country since you would have another 3 hours on the same day.

Not true...you have to log using the time of your base location.

37 posted on 06/26/2012 7:20:46 PM PDT by spokeshave (The only people better off today than 4 years ago are the Prisoners at Guantanamo.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Terry Mross
You were a machinist’s mate on the America?

Yea from 77-80 in A-Division and a couple of stints in Fire Department.

38 posted on 06/26/2012 8:10:52 PM PDT by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: cva66snipe

I had to really get my old brain to working to remember what a “snipe” was.


39 posted on 06/26/2012 8:13:09 PM PDT by Terry Mross ( To all my kin: Do not attempt to contact me as long as you love obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Terry Mross
I had to really get my old brain to working to remember what a “snipe” was.

Machinist Mate, Machinery Repairman {actual machinist}, Boiler Tech, Electricans Mate, Interior Comuunications, Engineman, Gas Turbine Spec, and Hull Techs.

40 posted on 06/26/2012 8:25:19 PM PDT by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson